Stay
by gettsr
Summary: Sophie & Maddie arrive home after the bus crash. Aftermath. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

It's 2 am in Kevin's car and all Maddie wanted to do was forget it. They had decided to go home with Kevin in his car, while Tim and Sally went back in a cab. Sophie had insisted on sitting in the back with Maddie, although she had insisted that she was "FINE". Her body openly fought her mind and she just wanted to be alone.

And yet she didn't.

"Are you okay?" she whispered into her ear for the millionth time.

"I would be if you'd just stop asking me that" she growled back.

Sophie shrunk back as if hit by a heat wave. Her head went down as she took a deep breath. It nearly hurt her to see that look on her girlfriend's face as it had to…

She didn't want to finish that thought. It was easy to start in on the jokes but if she let her mind dwell on it... No.

Instead she turned away and put her hand on the window knob on her side. Quickly she turned the knob to lower the windows down. Leaning her face out she felt that clammy January air whip into her face. Closing her eyes she let the memories start.

* * *

><p>When Mrs. Connor had announced that the awards thingy would be fancy dress, Maddie had lowered her head in disappointment. Apparently she hadn't done a good job at hiding it.<p>

"You're coming to the awards party right?" she heard behind her.

Turning around she saw the large eyes and blonde locks of Sinead Tinker. She shrugged as she grabbed her sandwich from the machine.

"Dunno. Kirk's going" she replied.

"You HAVE to com' " the blonde had insisted. "Y'see Chesney can't com' & neither can Sopheh soz...you can be my date aye?" she pleaded.

"But fancy dress..." Maddie whined as gestured disdainfully towards her own appearance.

"I thought so" Sinead smiled. "Just com'over tonight and I'll whip you up something" she continued excitedly. Maddie rolled her eyes but in the end she couldn't deny the girl.

Although a bit oddly frumpy, Sinead Tinker was one of those rare people. Their altruism could not be refused. Like Sophie, it softened her hard resolve and made her slowly nod in agreement.

"Don't worry! It'll just be Ches about & he don't care" Sinead laughed.

"Great" Maddie groaned.

* * *

><p>After a few moments she rolled up the window. The brief exposure to the chill now left her shaking again. Sophie instantly wrapped her up in the blanket of her arms. It was that blanket that she had craved. Being lost in the brunette had always allowed her to say in her mind that everything was in the past, and drive straight ahead.<p>

She didn't have to think about the white fear of having Tracy Barlow slipping through your fingers. Or Sophie's trembling arms as she engulfed her in the hospital. Or Sinead…

They had finally arrived home, all three of them knackered. Kevin grunted a good night and went to pay the sitter.

Maddie floated deliriously as Sophie pull her toward their room. So tired, Maddie couldn't even open the door handle. They didn't say a word between them as Sophie set her down softly. As Maddie watched Sophie's systematic movements, her throat began to close up. She had tried so desperately to hold it in, but the beauty of the gentle caresses on her skin as they eased her clothes off were wrecking her resolve. They had done these very actions before feverishly, but this time it wasn't sexual. Rather than hard and grasping, Sophie's hands were soft as silk. It was a pure reverence that Maddie felt as Sophie pulled her skirt off.

It broke her carefully constructed walls and her lip quivered. Sophie saw it but didn't say anything, she slowly slipped out of the room. When she returned the lip quivering had escalated to snivelling. And she had fought it hard.

Still Sophie said nothing, she only wiped a damp cloth across her shoulders. Careful of the cuts and bruises, she washed what she could. Then pressed her lips softly to her temples.

"Babe" she whispered into her ear. "Do you want to wash your hair? There's glass in it" she asked.

Maddie nodded and grasped Sophie's hand tightly.

"All you have to do is stay with me" she said with a strong but barely heard whisper.

"That's all you have to ask" Sophie said her voice shaky for the first time all night.

She placed a light kiss on her forehead. With that simple act, Maddie finally allowed herself the sweet surrender of letting all the tears go. She knew now that this life was all that she wanted. It was as if _Sophie Lauren Webster _was all that _Madeline Ivy Heath_ had ever wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

She thought that her entire body would fall under her when she first heard the word "crash".

Her and the rest of the "left-homes" had been commiserating in the pub. At first she had been a bit disappointed that she couldn't go as Maddie's date that night, but on the other hand there was no way that she was going to let Maddie back out. It made her chest swell to see her girlfriend being accepted as part of the factory crowd. Maddie needed to be part of a group that built her up, rather than kept her under their thumb. Sophie had seen what that did to her girl first hand and she prefered the alternative. And there was no way that Maddie could turn down a free bar. That was ridiculous.

So she had seen her girlfriend off in "fancy dress" and settled for a night at the pub with Tim. Maddie had been downright fidgety about having to dress up and all, but Sophie loved it.

"Do I look all right?" her girlfriend had asked softly.

"Are you kidding? You'll be the best looking lass there" she had grinned. Placing a hand on the girl's shoulder she leaned in covertly.

"Best not get too wasted. Don't want to be sloppy when I pull that dress right off you later" she whispered huskily.

In the end she had pulled Maddie's clothes off her, but not in the way she'd intended.

After cleaning her off in the shower, she then went about putting her to bed. They didn't say much to each other. They didn't have to really.

Sophie knew by now that the best thing to do was to wait for her girlfriend to talk. It was useless to force it. Maddie would open her emotional fortress walls when she felt ready. Still it was hard to not react when you she saw the bruises, cuts, and new scars, on her girlfriend's perfect body. She had already seen the scars that Maddie carried from having a hard life, had even laid her lips on each one, but it made her heart clench to think of any new ones. For a girl of not even 18, the blonde already carried too many for Sophie's heart to take.

She managed to keep it together as she slowly got her girlfriend to change into loose bed clothes. However the night's events were starting to get on top of her as she changed into her own. As they settled into their usual bed position, Sophie found herself unable to sleep. At first Maddie had draped her arm across Sophie's waist as was her custom but soon she shifted away, turning over in exhaustion. Lying on her back, the brunette took stock of herself.

As a teenager she had been utterly lost. Everything always seemed to be out of her control and her parents never seemed to care. Her sister was everything to them in those days and it convulsed her with rage. Until she found Christ and Sian she had not understood her feelings or her place in this world. All she could do was storm at it with a loud gob that poured venom at any target. It was only until she felt love and found purpose in good works that she understood. It had lightened her. The weightlessness of understanding herself and the world around her was a saving grace. It was only when she forgot that everything happened for a reason that she had returned to that dark place. Luckily, god's love had stopped her from meeting her maker a few times and she wouldn't forget that. Still she understood that not everyone had been as fortunate as herself. Maddie was a hard case, by no fault of her own. But Sophie had known that she was worth the hard work. And now she hoped that the whole street would know the girls worth.

She turned toward her girlfriend and rested her arm across her waist. Moving closer she felt the blonde mold into her. Feeling the languid body movements against her own, Sophie finally allowed herself some repose.

While she knew that everything happened for a reason, Sophie hoped that the lord would give them a break. At least for her girlfriend's sake, if not her own.

* * *

><p>She heard the cry from upstairs. It was unmistakable.<p>

Sophie took to the stairs as quick as she could and threw open the door.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

Maddie was already throwing her bed clothes off hurriedly.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME?" Maddie growled as she pulled a shirt over her head. She angrily pointed toward the clock. "I was supposed to be at the garage two hours ago" she said as she pulled on her shoes. Sophie rushed over and grabbed her girlfriend's wrists.

"Babe" she said firmly. "Nobodies expecting you to work today" Sophie said resolutely.

"But I can. I'm Fine" she said with an equal amount of stubborn ferocity.

Sophie leaned down and took a shoe from her girlfriend's hand. Chucking the sneaker, she placed her other hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I know. But Kevin wants you to rest up and so do I. So please" she pleaded softly. After a moment she saw Maddie's body unclench. Her shoulders dropped under Sophie's touch and she allowed Sophie to engulf her. It was becoming a habit between them. The proximity of their bodies provided a semblance of tranquility in the thick of everything.

Melding into her, Sophie felt that solace that everything would be alright betwixt them. It was a feeling that she had to believe existed. Otherwise her own strength would fall apart.

And that was not going to happen, Sophie told herself. Not Ever.

* * *

><p>Later, Sophie carefully prepared her girlfriend a cup of tea. She prided herself on the fact that she had learned exactly how Maddie liked it. In fact she prepared it better than the girl herself, which had become a running joke between them.<p>

They had settled down to an afternoon in front of the telly, watching junk while Sophie insisted on doing everything.

"If you're going to be a proper nurse then you should go all out. You in that nurse uniform would be well hot" Maddie had smirked.

"You wish" she had laughed right back at the time. But to be honest if Maddie had asked she would have given her the moon.

Tim had dropped in and filled her in on the whole story while Maddie had been napping. By all accounts, her girlfriend was a hero in the eyes of the street. It made Sophie's chest swell to hear it. She had always seen that her girlfriend was more than a "homeless skank from the soup kitchen" and now everyone saw it. It was vindicating to see her faith justified, even in the eyes of someone as judgey as Norris. Her face couldn't stop soppily grinning.

The opening of the door stirred her out of her reflection. Turning her head, she saw her dad enter in with her brother trailing behind him.

"So looks like you're being well cared for" he chuckled.

"Yeah well, Nurse Sophie here won't let me lift a finger so I figured I'd catch up on Jezza" she scoffed.

"Oh you know you love it" Sophie laughed right back.

Her brother Jack emerged from between his father's legs and looked sheepishly up towards his dad.

"Go ahead son. She won't bite" he said to him jovially.

Jack ran up to Maddie holding something gingerly in his small hands. He handed it over sheepishly, all the while ducking his head. Maddie turned over the token in her hands. Leaning in, Sophie saw that it was a circular piece of tinfoil with a red ribbon attached. Sophie instantly picked up on what it was supposed to be and grinned widely. Maddie still studied it quizzically.

"Jack, is that a medal?" Sophie asked softly. Her voiced was lowered in awe at the simple beauty of it. The little boy only nodded and then lunged at Maddie. She quickly engulfed his small arms and patted his head. After a few moments they let go of each other and the little boy ran off to the kitchen. Kevin followed him making sure that his son got his sought after juice box.

Sophie looked in Maddie's eyes and saw a reflection of her own soppiness. Just as quickly, though, Sophie saw Maddie's jaw clench. That hard look fell over her face and she set the tin foil disk on the coffee table.

"Sophie? Can you get rid of that so that he won't see?" Maddie asked softly.

"Why? I get that it's well cheesy but you earned it babe" she replied.

"No I didn't. Just please get rid of it. I don't want to see it" she said firmly. She turned her head back to the telly.

"Wait" Sophie said clasping her girlfriends hands. "I don't get it" she said tilting her head unbelieving.

Maddie looked toward her. The young girl dropped her head and took a deep breath. Seemingly unable to look Sophie in the eye, she spoke into her own chest.

"Tracy Barlow slipped right through my fingers Soph. She could have gone over the cliff. And Sinead…" she choked up. "No, I could have done more and I didn't" she finished looking into Sophie's eyes. Her chest clenched at the sight of it. It caused such a sharp pain to see how lowly her girlfriend considered herself. She set her own standards so high, only so that it was never a shock when no one could reach them. Sophie had learned this trick early in their relationship. Sucking up her own welling emotions. she took a deep breath. Reaching out she raised up Maddie's chin so that she could look at her directly.

"Babe, you have earned this tatty crappy medal and more. I really should be fuming with you, and yet…" she chuckled. "Your reckless bravery saved my mum and for that…" she sighed as she languidly drew Maddie's chin in closer. "...you deserve all the thankfulness that I have to give" she whispered as she laid her own lips upon her girlfriend's own. She didn't apply any force just allowed their lips to glance softly. After a few moments they each pulled back from each other, seemingly upon psychic mutual agreement.

"And I'd expect nothing less from you in the future" she said grinning reassuringly. "But don't you dare ever risk leaving me for nothing less than heroic purpose. Do you hear me?" Sophie said with every bit of determination inside her being.

Maddie could only nod in the face of such strength. Resolved they both turned their attention back to the telly. After watching Jezza for a few moments, Sophie felt that her own cup of tea had gone cold. She pecked Maddie on the temple quickly and then got up to put the kettle on.


End file.
